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E3: Microsoft

I’m still trying to forget the blistering eye-destroying video that introduced Microsoft’s conference, but I’m not trying to forget the rest of it. Especially from about two and a half minutes in when Phil Spencer touted, ‘Today, we’re dedicating our entire briefing to games.’ Microsoft is sorry.

It was far from perfect, but it was spot on for Microsoft’s audience. They kept Ubisoft fans happy with The Division still looking pretty and Assassin’s Creed Unity looking like Assassin’s Creed – with a real Brotherhood! They made Dragon Age Inquisition look more fun than EA did. They showed an indie montage that could put Sony to shame – but, wait for it… Forza looked pretty. Sunset Overdrive had colours. Project Spark had Conker – from Bad Fur Day, bitch. Fable Legends actually looked fun, if not as innovative as it may want you to think. Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had track-able griffin blood! The Rise of the Tomb Raider looks like it will carry on from 2013’s great reboot. Advanced Warfare at least looked quite pretty with its Martix-esque floaty flock things!

However, I got more excited by Play Dead Production’s Inside, which looked to continue the solitary and grim gameplay that was perfected in Limbo, but this time with other mechanical shuffling characters on screen – this only makes the game even look lonelier. I love it.

Oh, and Phantom Dust is back… Yes, people, BACK.

All in all, not a bad conference at all. It won’t make me buy an XBOX, but it sure as hell has made me think about the damn console.

Edit: How did I forget Halo? I’m not sure if I misheard that you could swap between the remade levels in the Master Chief Collection or not, but if it’s true, that’s awesome. So Master Chief Collection has all four Master Chief games, Halo 5: Guardians is still coming (December, in beta form) and the tv show is still a thing. No Gears though…